David  Hackston.  Although  a  lesser  light among  the  Covenanters in  terms  of  preaching , David  Hackston  of  Rathillet, stands  tall  among  the  soldiers  of  the  Covenant  as the leader  of  “The  Cameronians “  as  the  armed  supporters of Richard Cameron became  known.  Hackston came  from  an  old Scottish  and  reasonably  well  off  family  in  the  Parish  of  […]

Wakefield’s Account of Ireland. A footnote from p 331 , ” The Irish Rebellion ” by W H Maxwell (1891), adds a comment from :”Wakefield’s Account of Ireland.” ” Having traced out the leading events of this unfortunate business, it is necessary to call the attention of the reader to the Presbyterians of the north, […]

The Reformation story begins with the contentious and unacceptable behaviour of the late medieval Catholic church, followed by the emergence of Protestant evangelism, John Knox and Presbytery. It continues with the Covenanters through to the Glorious Revolution in 1688 (accession of William & Mary), when the Presbyterian Church of Scotland was finally established by law […]

The Millenary Petition, 1603 The Millenary Petition was a representation made to James VI  when he became King of England in 1603. It was so called from the 1000 signatories to the document, which was about a tenth of the English clergy. It was essentially a plea from the Puritans of the day to return […]

Scottish Kings 330 BC-1567 AD, and Pictish Kings 451 – 843 AD [For large images click on thumbnail .]

Elizabeth I Declaration against Nonconformists 1573. A proclamation against the despiser. or breakers of the orders prescribed in the book of Common Prayer. BY THE QUEEN. The Queen’s Majesty being right sorry to understand that the order of Common Prayer set forth by the common consent of the realm and by authority of parliament in […]

The Fiery Cross in Moray and Ross, 1679. A curious event at the time of Bothwell Brig concerned the sworn appearance of the ancient call to arms – the Fiery Cross, or Crann Taire. This was a traditional demand by a clan chieftain for all his supporters to gather in full armour and accoutrements to […]

Catholic Missionaries in Scotland 1653-1741. Extracts from The Scotichronicon, Appendix. Rev J F S Gordon (1868) [Click for larger image] pages 6-10

The people on the eve of the Reformation. In the highly regulated medieval society in which they lived and worked the people still managed to find time to relax between sunset and sunrise when their time was nominally their own. In the towns the watchmen did their rounds and the curfew (although not called that, […]

A View of Ecclesiastical Benefices ca 1374 AD.. ( Extracted from  The Acts and Monuments of John Foxe, first pub. ca 1580. Edited and corrected Rev Geo. Townsend , Pub Seeley, Burnside and Seeley, London 1843 The information in [ ] was validated to the List of Cardinals in Moreri`s Dictionary, the dates are of […]

Knox in the crucial years  1556 – 1560. Knox had visited Scotland in September 1555. During his stay he preached wherever he could and made contact with the Lords of the Congregation, but was soon in receipt of letters from his congregation in Geneva who desired his speedy return.  Stricken by conscience and mindful of […]

Worcester 3 Sep 1651. King Charles was crowned at Scone, Perthshire on 1 January 1651 and once again Scotland was supporting its king against the New Model Army of Cromwell. In the June of 1651 the Act of Classes, which had excluded so many from recruitment to the army, was repealed. A new army was […]

 The Queensferry Paper.  The Queensferry Paper was so called  because it was discovered in the pocket of a Covenanter, Henry Hall of Haughshead, when he was seized at South Queensferry on 4 June 1680. Hall was in the company of Donald Cargill when they were discovered and an attempt made to arrest them. Cargill made […]

THE ACT FOR ABOLISHING THE JURISDICTION OF THE PAPE. [ in Scotland ] IN the Parliament haldin at Edinburgh, the tent day of Julij, the year of God Jm  Vc   lx yearis, and thairefter continewit to the first day of August nixt thairefter following, with continewatioun of dayes, upoun the xxiiij of the said moneth of […]